Pumpkin, Spinach and Chickpea Salad with Tahini and Lemon Dressing

, from Issue #24. September, 2015
Photography by Vanessa Wu.
Pumpkin, Spinach and Chickpea Salad with Tahini and Lemon Dressing

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

800 grams buttercup pumpkin
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground coriander
1⁄2 cup raisins
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bag spinach, well washed, tough stalks cut out
1 x 400 gram tin cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
juice of 1 lemon

Dressing
1⁄2 cup thick plain yoghurt
3 tablespoons tahini paste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon

To serve
1⁄4 cup flaked almonds, toasted
paprika for sprinkling

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180 ̊C.

Cut the pumpkin into slim wedges, brush with olive oil and season.

Place on a lined baking tray and roast until just tender. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, coriander and the raisins. Season and cook until the onion is tender. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the chickpeas and spinach and cook for 3 minutes to wilt the spinach.

Stir in the lemon juice and set aside to cool.

Dressing: Whisk the yoghurt, tahini paste, garlic and the lemon zest and juice in a bowl and season. Whisk in enough cold water to make a pourable dressing.

To serve: Arrange the pumpkin on a serving platter and spoon over the spinach and chickpeas. Drizzle with the yoghurt dressing and scatter over the almonds and a pinch of paprika.